We invite you to join in a discussion about how art can use available public space to create community and discussion. This is led by Islands of LA, an ongoing artwork that is turning traffic islands into territories of art to create community, promote intellectual discussions in public and explore the use and availability of public space.

What is public space? How can we use it? What role can art play?

There are many ways to think about public space. These questions can be approached from a variety of perspectives such as the artist, curator, city official, urban planner, architect or developer. Islands of LA invites us to suspend judgment for a brief moment and participate in an inquisitive discussion where we can offer our own ideas and try on other ones.

The discussion will also give us a chance to put our thoughts into action on the highly visible, yet mundane traffic island. This salon, then, is an opportunity to not only share different ideas but also to invite you to participate in the project by using the available public space of traffic islands.

About the Islands of LA Project

Islands of LA was conceived of as an art and curatorial project that utilizes the marginalized yet highly visible public spaces of traffic islands. Islands of LA views the traffic islands as spaces and venues in the everyday happening that can be used by artists to create community and stimulate inquisitive interchanges about a variety of topics related to the public including public land use.

The project began on 9/16/07 and was conceived of by artist Ari Kletzky. Islands of LA projects happen in different areas of the public sphere including public space, private space and a website. Most of the projects cross one or more of these areas.